Experts Agree—These Foods Shouldn't Be Stored in Your Fridge

As we enter peak entertaining season, it’s easy for food to mount up and fridge shelves to become overloaded with leftovers, wine bottles, and odd ingredients. While the soaring temperature can affect some fresh foods, Good Housekeeping Institute points out that there’s a lot of misconception about what really belongs in your icebox. The truth? Many of the groceries you automatically store in the chilled section don’t belong there. Get ready to purge your fridge shelves. These seven foods are better kept at room temperature:

Avocados: Storing them in the fridge will do little to postpone that dreaded brown tinge caused by air exposure. The guide recommends keeping them in paper bags instead.

Tomatoes: Whether you’re tossing them in a salad or pasta dressing, tomatoes taste much better when kept at room temperature, so keep them in a bowl under the windowsill to naturally ripen.

Melon: This fruit can be a massive space stealer, so store it in the pantry until you cut it up. After the skin has been pierced, wrap the pieces in plastic to maximize fridge space.

Onions: Onions do best in a dry, ventilated area, away from other foods that could absorb their heady aroma. Keep them in a dark place to avoid the vegetables from sprouting.

Bread: If you store a loaf in your fridge, we’ve got bad news: This habit makes it staler faster than putting it in a bread bin. Instead, prevent yours from going hard with a bread bag.